An ethical row on the moral merits of gambling has erupted within the Church of England with some Anglican members arguing that they shouldn’t seek lottery funding.

Church leaders have rejected a move to discourage parishes in North and West Yorkshire from applying for funding from the National Lottery.
 
Canon Tony Shepherd of St Peter's Church in Harrogate, proposed the move at a meeting of the synod of the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds earlier this month.
 
He said by applying for lottery cash, churches were, in effect, giving their "blessing" to gambling despite the fact that the Church has for centuries looked down on the pursuit.

Of the 100 synod members, only four supported the motion.

Canon Shepherd said: "When the lottery was proposed 15 years ago, churches opposed it. I feel we've taken our eye off the ball."

"It has rightly been described as a tax on the poor to benefit the rich. Wherever there is addiction, misery follows hard on its heels. If some of the profits are derived from the misery of others do we as a church wish to benefit from those?"
 
But other speakers opposed his motion, pointing out that nearly all government funding for church buildings could only be paid through the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Rev John Carter, Press and Communications Officer, said that while it could be argued the church was being hypocritical in accepting money from the Lottery while condemning gambling, there were other arguments to consider. The Lottery was carefully monitored by bodies like the Salvation Army and the average amount spent was still less than £2.90 per head.

Ripon Cathedral recently received a grant of £514,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards a major redevelopment of its lighting and facilities.
 
Meanwhile other large churches including St. Mark's, Harrogate, and St Matthias' in Burley, Leeds, have decided not to apply for lottery funds for major redevelopment projects costing hundreds of thousands of pounds.